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Bill

SB 1038

cast vote record; public record

57th Legislature - Second Regular Session Introduced by Mark Finchem and 1 co-sponsor

Arizona bill makes cast vote records from electronic voting machines public, increasing election transparency but raising cybersecurity and voter privacy concerns.

Vetoed by Governor
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1038

Legislative bill overview

SB 1038 designates cast vote records (CVRs)—the electronic records produced by voting machines showing how each individual ballot was marked—as public records in Arizona. The bill would require election officials to make these records available to the public, subject to existing public records law exemptions.

Why is this important

Cast vote records are central to post-election audits and ballot verification processes. Making them public would increase transparency in election administration and allow independent observers to verify election integrity claims. However, this also raises security and privacy concerns, as detailed CVRs could theoretically be linked to individual voters in some circumstances.

Potential points of contention

  • Election security vs. transparency trade-off: Security experts argue that publicizing CVRs could reveal vulnerabilities in voting systems that bad actors could exploit, while transparency advocates contend that public scrutiny strengthens election integrity
  • Privacy concerns: Even without voter names, detailed CVR data theoretically could be cross-referenced with other information to identify how specific individuals voted, contradicting ballot secrecy principles
  • Implementation complexity: Election officials may face significant technical and logistical challenges in securely producing, storing, and distributing large volumes of CVR data while protecting against unauthorized access or manipulation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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